Gamification is used in many areas, for example in business, education, and also in non-GamStop casinos. The general idea is to use game elements to activate/stimulate the players. It’s about setting goals for and driving the player forward.
The purpose is to ensure that we as players get good, captivating gaming experiences that tempt us to come back and play more. Using psychological tricks when designing the user experience attracts both new and old players, builds up to more interaction, and gives loyal users to the casino not on GamStop.
If you think about it: Being a member of a non-GamStop casino is not just about playing casino games and winning money. It’s also about competing with other players in tournaments, climbing VIP levels, receiving bonuses, and so on. Doesn’t it?
Below we have listed the 10 most used psychological tricks that online casinos use to get you to play more.
A Sense of Control at Non-GamStop Casinos
Giving players a sense of control is an effective way to get them to trust the game and get them to “loosen up” a bit. In Craps, for example, you get to roll the dice yourself. In Keno and in lotteries, you get to pick the numbers yourself.
And in Poker, you get to choose which cards you throw away and which ones you keep. The illusion of control gives players the feeling that they have a greater chance of winning, completely independent of the house edge and probability calculation.
Belief in winning is the strongest driver a non-GamStop casino can play on, so by offering such games, they can in many cases also ensure that the player stays longer and bets more money.
I Was Sooooo Close!
The feeling of getting very close to the goal – but not quite, is a strong and often used tool in online games. It is certainly annoying, but it has been shown that it also arouses an even stronger positivity in most people: “Since I was so close, I will surely make it next time!”.
Since most non-GamStop casinos’ games (especially slots) are based on more luck than probability, this feeling does not match the truth. Just because you “almost” got 5 in a row doesn’t mean you will the next time you spin the reels. But giving players the feeling that they were very close to winning gives them renewed hope of winning the jackpot. “So close, yet so far”.
Digital Credits & Chips
When you don’t have to add coins every time you “pull the lever”, or have to physically touch the chips that you bet on the poker game, it’s easy to forget how much you actually spend. Just like swiping the card in the store; the money disappears without you ever touching it or seeing it.
In addition to the fact that your money may be converted into another, unfamiliar currency, many of the games are also designed so that the number seems larger than it is. 3 euros can look like 300 euros, in that the small comma is not included. Even if you know the amount, it looks bigger.
These are the kind of small details that perhaps come as a matter of course when playing money games online, but they actually have a function beyond the practical. Because if you lose the clear vision of the sums, and allow yourself to be distracted by the game itself, there is a high chance that you will bet a little more than you might have originally intended.
Advantages for VIP players
Just as with land-based casinos, non-GamStop casinos offer extra freebies for the big players/high rollers (those who bet a lot and play for a long time). Players are rewarded for their loyalty, with, for example, extra service and faster money transactions, tickets to concerts and other shows, luxury holidays, invitations to exclusive promotions, and so on.
So what if you lose mass, if you get all this for free? They treat you like a king! You don’t have to think about how much you’ve played for versus how much these goodies are worth. The feeling of luxury is there anyway.
Small Successes Add Flavor
Many non-GamStop casino games come with the opportunity to win free spins and bigger wins when the bonus game is triggered. For example, by the fact that you can gamble winnings and double them, or by the fact that the multiplier grows just when you are in the bonus game.
And very often it results not only in winnings, but also bigger winnings than in normal mode. This gives you a bit more money to play for again, and you’ve also got the taste of winning.
Few things taste better for a player than winning, so giving up right after winning an almost big win is, if not impossible, much more difficult than when you have gone through a series of losses. Agree?
Bonus Programs & Promotions
Offering deposit bonuses, cashback, and free spins is an effective way for non-GamStop casinos to get us to play more. We are left with the feeling that we have more to play for and that we risk less.
And that lowers the threshold for playing considerably, doesn’t it? Bonus programs where you earn points for playing or have to complete specific “challenges”, are not unusual to find at non-GamStop casinos today.
Once you have achieved a certain number of points, you can exchange them for new bonuses. It will be like an extra game, outside of the games.
Since bonus money and winnings from free spins come with wagering requirements, the online casino has not only “tricked” us into playing more, but they have made sure that we play 35 more rounds (or whatever the wagering requirement is).